On a mission to like jazz

[magiccabbage]

This is my favorite Curtis Fuller album so far - Its got so much groove and attitude, a really really great album. And, it sounds amazing with my new WA5  
 

 

[ralphp@optonline]

  This is my favorite Curtis Fuller album so far - Its got so much groove and attitude, a really really great album. And, it sounds amazing with my new WA5  
 

As one would expect with that lineup. Plus there are two Benny Golson compositions featured on the recording and Golson only writes great tunes.

 

[magiccabbage]

 
As one would expect with that lineup. Plus there are two Benny Golson compositions featured on the recording and Golson only writes great tunes.

its a whopper - what about Blakey? What you got for me with Art?

 

[FlatulentDonkey]

I am on the road of Jazz discovery as well and am currently loving the Joan Chamorro Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/sergech.  There are some phenomenally talented young musicians in there.
 
Another three recent discoveries are Victoria Geelan (from my native Northern Ireland) https://victoriageelan.bandcamp.com/album/unfit-the-picture, Katharine Timoney (also from Northern Ireland) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD1-wgpUaic and Kaz Simmons https://kazsimmons.bandcamp.com/album/signs

 

[unclejr]

Haven't posted in awhile, though I read and skim a bit from time to time. This is such an interesting thread to me, because it was directed toward the goal of liking jazz, not just trying it out ... props to the OP for keeping it up; hope it's been fun.
 
Quote:

  I'm currently listening to Bitches Brew on my nearfield speakers for the first time. This is the second time I have heard the album, and the first time was on the Q701's. It is a lot more enjoyable on these speakers than I remember it to be on the Q701.  

 
From reading through your posts, I thought for sure you'd like Bitches Brew and other late Miles. I found that there is just some music I can deal with on speakers more than headphones, especially such detailed cans as the 701s. Much of later Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Jack Dejohnette, Betty Davis, to name a few, I can deal with far better with speakers. It's something about fatigue for me.
 
 
 

  Just picked these up, ignore the King Crimson, I know that isn't jazz, but the other 3 definitely are. 

 
I'm glad you discovered Herbie Hancock; while reading through the thread, I was pretty excited when you stumbled upon Headhunters! Check out Thrust if you haven't already. Herbie's great because he really ran the gamut, from his time under Miles, reflected in his first record as a leader, Takin' Off, and then his whole journey is inspiring. Even if I don't like some of his really recent stuff (Future to Future), I respect it, and I even like a lot of it, such as the Joni Letters.
 
I also thought while reading that you might really dig Eric Dolphy. He's a solid sideman for Mingus, but his albums on their own are pretty sweet. Can't go wrong with Out to Lunch, Illinois Concert, the Five Spot recordings. For some reason I've never acquired Outward Bound, but it's on my short list these days.
 
And regarding Horace Silver, man, Peace is one of my all time favorite tunes (on Blowin the Blues Away). Actually, for all the hate Norah Jones gets, her First Sessions EP is pretty stunning, and she recorded a rendition of Peace that I still reach for routinely.
 
 

IMHO an essential album...
Along with...

But there are many many more...some of which I'm still to discover...

 
Finally someone mentioned the Quintet! It's probably overhyped, except it's really not! The story behind that record is amazing, how fortunate it was to get that group together, the only date they all recorded, there was a rescheduled fight going on, so attendance was low and Dizzy apparently kept ducking off stage to check on it. The original recording was to be released on Mingus and Roach's new label, Debut, but Mingus didn't like the bass line, so he overdubbed it, and the first known original release was only relatively recently. It's one of my and many top fives.
 
 

 
 Believe me Spyro I am trying to agree with you on this.  And you do make a valid point that in some cases perhaps "purists" do jump to hasty conclusions regarding Metheny, espescially (and I agree) with his almost non typical Jazz instrument.  Not that guitar is non traditional but you know what I mean (he gives off a Rock vibe to some ...lol)
 
And without being short sighted or at least trying to be I still cant wrap my head around Metheny being considered a master of the genre.  This is not to say I don't like his stuff because I do,  I just feel that he is not in the same league as an Evans or a Jarrett.
 
I have heard a fair amount of his stuff and while enjoyable I still find it lacking in true "genius".  Talented yes he is....Jazz genius he is not IMO.
 
PS : I think Monk is overrated .... lol

 

Oof, so when I skimmed across that bottom line, I had to take a breath. Hopefully you've kept an open mind before reaching that conclusion, as people like me tend to think the exact opposite: he's actually underrated to me. Now within jazz he's regarded as a great, because of his absolutely incredible sense of timing and musicality. The part to appreciate is that he knew the rules so innately that he knew exactly what to do to break them. He made new rules that pretty much only he could follow. And it's not random, at all, it's simple, lyrical, hilarious, and ... brilliant. Dude was a genius, and I hope he and Mingus one day get their due as great American–not just jazz–composers.
 
Other general recommendations that I didn't see include:
 
Miles Davis doing L'Ascenseur pour l'échafaud ... think improvised jazz movie soundtrack.
 
Jim Cullum Jazz Band or Preservation Hall Jazz Band ... a couple of the biggest purveyors of classic jazz today.
 
Charlie Haden/Hank Jones Steal Away: a stunningly simple, elegant album of spirituals and hymns.
 
Quincy Jones big band stuff, especially Birth of a Band and This is How I Feel About Jazz. Whew!
 
And finally, in case I missed it, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach on Money Jungle. Man, if only Duke did more piano trios.
 
Oh yeah, somewhere in this thread someone was talking about spoken word and jazz. It reminded me of a Mingus/Langston Hughes album, Weary Blues. Random, but it always reminds me, Joni Mitchell did an album called Mingus that's worth checking out, even if not strictly jazz.

 

[Quinto]

great Miles album..
 


best Miles album! (+Four & More  (same gig))
 


by far the best Monk album
 


Cool Konitz
 


Fenomenal Getz..

 

[Sorrodje]

  I just discovered these guys & I'm hugely impressed.  About as good as modern jazz gets imho, embracing all kinds of genres but with a deep jazz vibe. Not surprised they got a Mercury Music Award nomination.
 
GoGo Penguin - v2.0
 

 
Purchased immediately ! Thks for the recommendation !

 

[ralphp@optonline]

  its a whopper - what about Blakey? What you got for me with Art?

Art Blakey enjoyed a long life and a long career playing great jazz so perhaps the best way to explore Blakey's music is by checking out recordings from some of the many different groups that he fronted. By that I mean that while The Jazz Messengers were Blakey's long time group, the personal of the group was ever changing so it's best to try and give each different Jazz Messenger group a listen.
 
One of the best Jazz Messenger groups was the 1960 edition comprised of Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and of course Art Blakey (drums). This group recorded quite a few outstanding albums for Blue Note in 1960 and just about each album is essential. If you can find a copy I highly recommend the excellent Mosaic collection "The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Art Blakey‘s 1960 Jazz Messengers"
 

 

[magiccabbage]

 
Art Blakey enjoyed a long life and a long career playing great jazz so perhaps the best way to explore Blakey's music is by checking out recordings from some of the many different groups that he fronted. By that I mean that while The Jazz Messengers were Blakey's long time group, the personal of the group was ever changing so it's best to try and give each different Jazz Messenger group a listen.
 
One of the best Jazz Messenger groups was the 1960 edition comprised of Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and of course Art Blakey (drums). This group recorded quite a few outstanding albums for Blue Note in 1960 and just about each album is essential. If you can find a copy I highly recommend the excellent Mosaic collection "The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Art Blakey‘s 1960 Jazz Messengers"
 

Thanks Ralph - I knew you would come through. I love Morgans trumpet playing - he played with Fuller on "blue train". I can only imagine what Shorter and Morgan can do together. I will try to find some of that stuff ASAP. 

 

[ralphp@optonline]

  Thanks Ralph - I knew you would come through. I love Morgans trumpet playing - he played with Fuller on "blue train". I can only imagine what Shorter and Morgan can do together. I will try to find some of that stuff ASAP. 

You are most welcome!
 
Besides the great playing the 1960 edition of the Jazz Messengers also featured two outstanding composers: Wayne Shorter, who has been cited many times in this thread and Bobby Timmons, who composed many of Blakey's best known tracks such as "Dat Dere" and "Moanin'".

 

[StanHalabyII]

Hey guys! I dunno how many folks that posted here are musicians like myself, but it warms my heart so much to see a thread like this and so many folks responding.. to 'Americanize' a British saying: "Supercheers!"   ..  I'm totally independent and self-produced as a lot of musicians like myself are taking matters into our own hands and am composing, recording, mixing, AND mastering my own stuff (and I've heard it all from all angles as far as mastering my own stuff .. I'm 47 and have been a live to studio musician gigging 30 years so I know what I want to hear) .. and the reason why I've ended up on this site is I'm doing my research on the different digital delivery platforms as I've also been an IT tech for my 'day job' for a while.  ..and yes, I'm a 'jazz' musician   now onto 'jazz' itself.. If I can put my humble opinion in this delightful thread; What might help is get a 'jazz history' book, show, etc. and find out the 'jazz greats' from the very beginning to now, and hear how it has progressed over time, and hear the different incarnations of this wonderful art again, Supercheers! folks! We need a LOT more folks like ya in this world! : D

 

[ralphp@optonline]

  Hey guys! I dunno how many folks that posted here are musicians like myself, but it warms my heart so much to see a thread like this and so many folks responding.. to 'Americanize' a British saying: "Supercheers!"   ..  I'm totally independent and self-produced as a lot of musicians like myself are taking matters into our own hands and am composing, recording, mixing, AND mastering my own stuff (and I've heard it all from all angles as far as mastering my own stuff .. I'm 47 and have been a live to studio musician gigging 30 years so I know what I want to hear) .. and the reason why I've ended up on this site is I'm doing my research on the different digital delivery platforms as I've also been an IT tech for my 'day job' for a while.  ..and yes, I'm a 'jazz' musician   now onto 'jazz' itself.. If I can put my humble opinion in this delightful thread; What might help is get a 'jazz history' book, show, etc. and find out the 'jazz greats' from the very beginning to now, and hear how it has progressed over time, and hear the different incarnations of this wonderful art again, Supercheers! folks! We need a LOT more folks like ya in this world! : D

Hi Stan and welcome aboard!
 
I realize that is a rather long thread and when trying to scan through the thread from the beginning several posts might get overlooked. Way back in post #248 I did mention a couple of books on jazz and jazz history: http://www.head-fi.org/t/693212/on-a-mission-to-like-jazz/240#post_10216963
 
However additional book/reading recommendations are more than welcome.

 

[StanHalabyII]

 
Hi Stan and welcome aboard!
 
I realize that is a rather long thread and when trying to scan through the thread from the beginning several posts might get overlooked. Way back in post #248 I did mention a couple of books on jazz and jazz history: http://www.head-fi.org/t/693212/on-a-mission-to-like-jazz/240#post_10216963
 
However additional book/reading recommendations are more than welcome.

 
Thanks Ralph!
 
The only one I'm really familiar with is the textbook (which is a fantastic read) that was used in my Jazz History course back in college in Detroit; it covers the very beginnings/roots of jazz through the mid-1960s:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Jazz-James-Lincoln-Collier/dp/0385286686
 
I'm happy to see it's still available as it was written in 1978

 

[Quinto]

 
Hi Stan and welcome aboard!
 
I realize that is a rather long thread and when trying to scan through the thread from the beginning several posts might get overlooked. Way back in post #248 I did mention a couple of books on jazz and jazz history: http://www.head-fi.org/t/693212/on-a-mission-to-like-jazz/240#post_10216963
 
However additional book/reading recommendations are more than welcome.

Orrin Keepnews' book on his long life as a producer is a very nice read..
 

 

[ralphp@optonline]

 
Orrin Keepnews' book on his long life as a producer is a very nice read..
 

Thanks! This is one I am unfamiliar with and looking forward to reading.